Courses: Current and Upcoming

Previous Years' Courses

We have an interest in providing experience that permits students to examine social forms of life, and at the same time explore their values and beliefs. One of our interests is to help students begin to participate in the public domain. We will do this by assisting students in identifying coursework, internships, research, and other intentional experiments that can provide the fundamental theoretical and research tools for roles in intervention.

SOCI 10100-01, -02, -07 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (THEME: POWER & JUSTICE) LA SS 1
MWF 8:00-8:50 AM (01); MWF 9:00-9:50 AM (02); MW 4:00-5:15 PM (07)
INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Grunberg
ENROLLMENT: 30 students per section
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Sociology as a field of study examines human social behavior, the causes and consequences of these social behaviors, as well as social change. Sociologists examine how social structures shape our daily interactions, while also exploring how society constructs social categories and cultural meanings. The course will introduce the relationship between sociological perspectives and the way society is structured by investigating forms of oppression, crime, race/ethnicity, work, war, intimacy, gender, inequality, health, families and "deviance." The course encourages students to be interested in and critical of the world they live in by exploring major theoretical perspectives connected to issues and activities encountered in everyday life.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture/discussion on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Your grade will be based upon your papers, examinations and participation.

SOCI 10100-03, -04 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY (THEME BASED) LA SS 1
MWF 11:00-11:50 AM (03); MWF 1:00-1:50 PM (04)
INSTRUCTOR: Joslyn Brenton
ENROLLMENT: 30 students per section
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: “Why Don’t Boys Wear Skirts?” Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior. In this course you will be introduced to sociological theories, methods of inquiry, and concepts that will help you cultivate a sociological perspective—the ability to see how your personal experiences are shaped by the way your society is organized. Together we will identify and examine how durable patterns in the organization of daily life give us freedom to act as we want, but also constrain our behaviors (for example, do you ever wonder why you do not see boys wearing skirts to class?). In this course we will focus on how multiple inequalities along the lines of race, class, gender, and sexuality shape our experiences and understanding of the self. It is my hope that the topics and readings discussed in this course will complicate some of your prior assumptions and knowledge about the social world, as this is part and parcel of the learning process.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Discussion, lecture, films, and journal assignments.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Papers, exams, group discussion, and research project.

SOCI 10100-05, -06 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY LA SS 1
MWF 10:00-10:50 AM (05); MWF 11:00-11:50 AM (06)
INSTRUCTOR: Belisa Gonzalez, Muller 112, Ext. 4-3921, bgonzalez@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 30 per section
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: To understand the relations between our personal lives (biography) and history through the exploration of the sociological imagination. To see the ways our lives and history intersect within a society and have different consequences depending on our position within that society. This kind of study has been called "a terrible and a magnificent lesson." By looking at the development of and the major theoretical perspectives within sociology, we will focus these "lessons" on various forms of oppression, crime, race/ethnicity, work, war, intimacy, gender, inequality, health, families and "deviance."
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture/discussion on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Your grade will be based upon your papers, examinations and participation.

SOCI 10100-09, -10 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY LA SS 1
MWF 9:00-9:50 AM (09); MWF 10:00-10:50 AM (10)
INSTRUCTOR: Mindi Townsend, mtownsend@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 30 per section
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The goal of this course is to provide the students with a foundation for understanding sociology, its effects on our everyday life, and the trends that shape the world in which we live. Additionally, the student will learn about the relations between our personal lives (biography) and history through the exploration of the sociological imagination. To see the ways our lives and history intersect within a society and have different consequences depending on our position within that society. By looking at the development of and the major theoretical perspectives within sociology, we will focus these "lessons" on various forms of stratification and inequality based on social, race/ethnicity, gender factors, crime and deviance, war and terrorism, work and organizations, and families and intimacy.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture/discussion on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Your grade will be based upon your papers, presentations, examinations, and class participation.

SOCI 20300-01, 02 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY LA SSPerspective: Social Science / Theme: Power and Justice
TR 8:00-9:15 AM (01); 9:25-10:40 AM (02)
INSTRUCTOR: Jonathan Laskowitz, Muller 327, Ext. 4-3520, jlaskowi@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25 per section
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course
STUDENTS: Those in social sciences, other disciplines and areas of related interest, i.e., PreLaw/Counseling/Psychology/ Sociology/Youthwork/Education/Human Services
COURSE DESCRIPTION: We study juvenile delinquency as intimately connected to the social, political, and economic shape of society. Our critical analysis suggests that juvenile delinquency is a process involving both the behavior of youths and responses of official state and federal agents (i.e., the law, police, courts) who administer social services and punishment.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Discussion/participation, student-led analyses, films and guest discussants.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Participation in class discussions and doing all the reading. Analytic essay, mid-term and final examinations. In-class student-led analysis. You have three unexcused absences in our 14 weeks together; on the fourth absence you will be dropped from our class. Grading is based upon participation, exams and analysis: quality not quantity.

SOCI 20400-01 SOCIOLOGY OF SYMBOLS AND REPRESENTATION LA SS 1
TR 10:50 AM-12:05 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Julian Euell, Muller 114, ext. 4-3522, euell@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course
COURSE DESCRIPTION: We will examine cultural ideas about the pleasures and aesthetics of eating as they indicate deeper relations of social rank, the body, sacred and profane, the raw and the cooked. This course is a journey through our private and personal images and social ideas of food as it correlates ideas of health, the foul, rotten, and the tasteful.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: We will use a large drawing pad to make visual images and collect visual data and representations from our daily lives. We will write a midterm and a final papers.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: (1) Public-private image intensive journal; Midterm and Final.

SOCI 20800-01 SOCIAL CHANGE SS 1 H LA
TR 9:25-10:40 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Alicia Swords, Muller 109, Ext. 4-1209, aswords@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One course in the social sciences
STUDENTS: This is a sociology foundations course.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: How do societies change? This course studies social changes in historical context, examining industrialization, urbanization, innovation and technology, colonialism, the creation of wealth and poverty, demands for rights, international development, global health epidemics, and protest. We examine debates about social change through case studies, historical accounts, biographies, ethnographies and film. We reflect on the possibilities and limitations on our own involvement in making changes.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture, discussion, in-class interactive exercises, films, and guests.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADING: A-F, only 3 absences allowed. Assignments include assignments on course readings, exercises and films, two projects, midterm exam, and final.

SOCI 21700-01, -02 MENTAL HEALTH IN HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL CONTEXTS LA SS
MWF 1:00-1:50 PM (01); MWF 2:00-2:50 PM (02)
INSTRUCTOR: Katherine Cohen-Filipic, Muller 113, Ext. 4-5122, kcohenfilipic@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25 per section
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course or PSYC 10300
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Explores the historical and contemporary contexts of mental health and distress from both sociological and psychological perspectives. Examination of the social construction of mental health through time, and consideration of how social and cultural factors such as race, class, and gender intersect with diagnostic paradigms and clinical treatment models employed by practitioners. Cross listed as PSYC 21700. Students may not receive credit for PSYC 21700 and SOCI 21700.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture, discussions, small group activities.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: A wide variety of learning activities, including papers, presentations, exams, and class participation.

SOCI 21800-01 INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY LA SS 1Perspective: Social Science / Theme: Identities
MWF 9:00-9:50 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Jim Rothenberg, Muller 108, Ext. 4-1251, rothenbe@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One course in the social sciences or sophomore standing
STUDENTS: Students interested in exploring micro-sociological issues and in examining the relationship how various institutions affect the lives of individuals.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this course we will explore the dynamic relationship between the individual and society. Beginning with the fundamental and age-old question, "How is social order possible?" We will examine the ways groups form and elaborate distinctive codes -- norms, roles, and values -- as well as the ways groups exert control over members' behavior. This leads to a second set of related questions, "What is Human Nature" and "How are individuals trained (i.e. socialized) for participation in society and for different positions in society?" We will see that childhood socialization can be powerful and yet can be overwhelmed by situational forces and by various forms of immediate social influence. We also will take a look at interaction in everyday life by focusing on a perspective that sees individuals playing an active role in managing their behavior and their emotions. Finally, we study how people individually and collectively, influence and change society.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture, discussion, exercises and films.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: 1. Attendance and participation. 2. Regularly assigned readings. 3. Papers and exams. Based on papers, exams and participation.

SOCI 22000-01 SOCIOLOGY OF AGING LA SS
TR 10:50 AM-12:05 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth J. Bergman, CHS 420, Ext. 3859, ebergman@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 30
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course or GERO-10100 (Introduction to Gerontology).
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Upon completing the course, a student will:Describe the condition of the elderly in contemporary American society, noting both attitudes toward the elderly and the objective status of the elderly, and assess the manner in which these conditions are affected by variables such as race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and culture.

Discuss the social implications of population aging for American society.

Identify the roles and importance of the elderly within the basic social institutions of the family, the economy, and the political system, and discuss the ways in which these institutions have adapted to the elderly and population aging.

Explain how social factors that affect successful aging are modified by such variables as social class and health status.

Describe the ways in which American society organizes behavior around caregiving and chronic illness, and discuss the implications for the elderly and their families.

Understand the historical development and status of programs and services for the elderly in the American society.

SOCI 22200-01 VISUAL SOCIOLOGY LA SS
TR 9:25-10:40 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Julian Euell, Muller 114, ext. 4-3522, euell@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One course in the social sciences
COURSE DESCRIPTION: In this course we study techniques of observing to develop a cultural therapeutic through ways of describing social things. We will use methods of photography, model building, making things that are representations of social relations. We are going to utilize visual explanation to express connections between human beings in social action. We ask ‘what does it mean to describe things?” What can be said that words cannot say? How may socially oriented projections aide in community discourse?
We will inquire about awakened knowing by exploring the ways in which artfulness and empiricism can meet. Visual sociologists are interested in producing sociological information and representations that cannot be easily told through written forms.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: We will do projects that will center on topics of social concern or community importance. This course is project oriented and less paper oriented. We will explore different ways of connecting social descriptions and representations to community discourse and cultural therapeutics.

SOCI 23503-01 ST: SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT
MWF 10:00-10:50 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Phuong Tran Nguyen, CHS 101, pnguyen@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One course in the social sciences
COURSE DESCRIPTION Why are so many individuals willing to thoroughly invest themselves emotionally, economically, and spiritually over a ball getting struck, a punch being thrown, a race being run, the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat? Is the disparity between men’s and women’s sports a matter of the market speaking or something more? What made people like Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, John Carlos, and Arthur Ashe more politically conscious than their contemporaries? Why is it so much easier for cities to build stadiums than improve their public transportation? This sociology course teaches us how this is not merely about individual fanatics or the free market, but rather a social issue in which an extensive and overlapping array of social institutions and structures promotes and reinforces a culture in which sports enjoys an elevated and privileged position in American life. Through case studies such as stadium economics, racial and gender integration, sportsmanship, gambling, mass media, and cheating, we will examine the social institutions and structures that contributed to promoting and reinforcing sports culture and the possibilities for change. Classes will consist largely of lecture, discussion, multimedia, and activities.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture & discussion
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Letter grade

SOCI 24003-01 ST: SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH AND ILLNESS IN MODERN SOCIETY LA SS 1
TR 2:35-3:50 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Joslyn Brenton
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One course in the social sciences
COURSE DESCRIPTION: What does it mean to be healthy? Is obesity a disease? In this course we will apply sociological theories of health and illness to explore these kinds of questions. Throughout the semester we will identify and discuss processes in the social production and distribution of health and illness. How can we explain, for example, why the rich tend to be relatively healthy while the poor are often sick? To answer these questions we will focus on how multiple and intersecting inequalities (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality) shape the way people experience and negotiate health. This is not a tidy process! People negotiate, fight against, and create alternative definitions of health and illness all the time. The overarching goal of this course is to develop an understanding of what patterns in health and illness tell us about how society works.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Discussion, lecture, films, and student-led research project.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Papers, exams, group discussion, and research project.

SOCI 29300-01 INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONSLA SS 1Perspective: Social Science / Theme: Power and Justice
MWF 1:00-1:50 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Jim Rothenberg, Muller 108, Ext. 4-1251, rothenbe@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: One course in the social sciences or sophomore standing or above
COURSE DESCRIPTION: We live much of our lives surrounded by social institutions and within organizations. Institutions are social arrangements which, more or less effectively, serve the interests of one or more groups of people. Social institutions include political, economic, health care and religious systems as well as the family and formal education. Organizations are the structural arrangements by which individuals encounter these institutions. Students in this course explore the parallels and differences between various types of institutions and organizations. They examine issues of power and ideology that affects institutional and organizational actors, including those with formal authority, subordinates, and clients.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture, discussion, and exercises.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Based on papers, exams, class participation.

SOCI 30200-01 SOCIOLOGY OF CRIME LA SS
MW 4:00-5:15 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Jonathan Laskowitz, Muller 327, Ext. 4-3520, jlaskowi@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course; two additional courses in the social sciences; sophomore standing
STUDENTS: This is a course offering recommended to those whose interests are in law, politics, human services and criminal/juvenile justice studies.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: With a critical imagination we analyze the social meaning and problem of crime and law, patterns of criminal behavior, the political reality of crime, and the criminal justice system (police, arrest, trial, and punishment). Law, crime, and responses to them are examined as phenomena intimately connected to and sculpted by historical moment.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Discussion, student-led analysis.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Analytic essays, student-led discussions, final research paper. Grading based on quality of work and participation.

SOCI 30800-01 COUNSELING THEORY AND DYNAMICS LA SS
TR 1:10-2:25 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Katherine Cohen-Filipic, Muller 113, kcohenfilipic@ithaca.edu, Ext. 4-5122
ENROLLMENT: 25
PREREQUISITES: Three courses in sociology and/or political science and/or psychology
STUDENTS: Individuals thinking about or intending to enter "helping" or public service professions. Also some para-professionals and volunteers from local helping organizations.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: To learn some theories about how people grow and change while attempting to increase your own awareness of how you grow, act and react in a counseling or "helping relationship." We are also concerned with how concepts in helping people relate to broader societal political issues and how we connect in a political way to the larger society when we engage in a counseling or helping relationship.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture, discussions, small group activities.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: A wide variety of learning activities, including papers, presentations, exams, and class participation.

SOCI 31100-01 SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY LA SS
TR 10:50 AM-12:05 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Plante, Muller 110, Ext. 4-3311, rplante@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course; three courses in the social sciences
STUDENTS: Sociology majors and minors only
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Who are we? How did we get here? sang The Talking Heads. In this course we address the fundamentally human process of asking questions about ourselves and our social world. We will explore how we theorize and wonder and speculate and ponder. Our initial focus is on Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, the primary theorists of our field; we progress to and through others' ideas as well. What is the general nature of society, the individual, and the relationship between the two? How do we find ourselves within our bigger contexts, and how do we create good lives?
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture and highly engaged student discussions
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Regular readings in primary texts; active participation, attendance, and preparation; critical thinking exercises; application papers and occasional quizzes.

SOCI 32700-01 WORK AND THE FAMILY LA SS
TR 10:50 AM-12:05 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Stephen Sweet, Muller 107, Ext. 4-3910, ssweet@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course; two additional courses in the social sciences
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course examines the interlocking relationships between two key institutions in society: the workplace and the family. We consider three core questions: First, how do jobs and workplaces affect family life? Second, how do family commitments influence the behaviors or workers and their ability to contribute to the economy? Third, to what extent do existing policies meet the needs of working families? Our approach will focus on issues of history, gender, class inequality, the life course, career development, organizational practices, and government policy.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lectures, films, group discussions.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADING: Class participation, 3 research papers, group presentation and paper, readings. Grading: A-F, based on requirements

SOCI 33802-01 ST: HOOKING UP: THE SOCIOLOGY OF INTIMACY SS
TR 2:35-3:50 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Plante, Muller 110, ext. 4-3311, rplante@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course; two additional courses in the social sciences
STUDENTS: Intended for juniors and seniors; social science and women’s studies students will benefit most. All students will need to be engaged, enthusiastic readers and participants, ready for a rigorous course.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will allow students to use upper-level social scientific knowledge to explore intimate relationships; the focus is on the United States but cross-cultural data will also be used. We will use gender as the major variable to illuminate the historical, material, and social contexts of intimate relationships and intimacy. Throughout the course, we’ll also address race, class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Students will be expected to challenge their taken-for-granted assumptions about the intersections between individuals and broader social structures.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Lecture and highly engaged student discussions
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Regular readings (journal articles); active participation, attendance, and preparation; critical thinking exercises; maybe occasional quizzes.

SOCI 35300-01 RESEARCH METHODS I LA SS
MWF 11:00-11:50 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Alicia Swords, Muller 109, Ext. 4-1209, aswords@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 18
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course; two additional sociology courses
STUDENTS: Primarily sociology majors; others who need an equivalent research course
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The first half of a two-semester sequence, this course presents the methods used by sociologists to answer questions. Sociology majors should be familiar with the essential elements of social science research, so they will be well prepared for work or further education, and also so they will be informed consumers of research. After completing this course a student will be able to:

Describe the logic of research and theories about causation.

Devise a research question and do a review of relevant scholarly literature on the topic.

Describe and practice common methods of social science research, including observation and interviewing, survey research, content analysis, and experiments.

Discuss crucial controversies in social science research, including the ethics and politics of research and the possibilities for activist research.

COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: The course uses a textbook and a reader, which will also be used in the second semester. It involves lecture, small group exercises, projects applying the various methods (content analysis, observation, interviews, and quantitative analysis) and library research. Each student will carry out the first two stages of an original research project, to be completed in the second semester of the course sequence. The papers are a statement of the research question and a review of the literature (a major paper involving extensive use of scholarly library sources).
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Attendance, participation; Applications projects; Research Question paper; Literature Review paper and other assignments.

SOCI 35400-01 RESEARCH METHODS II LA SS
TR 9:25-10:40 AM
INSTRUCTOR: Jim Rothenberg, Muller 108, Ext. 4-1251, rothenbe@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 20
PREREQUISITES: SOCI 35300
STUDENTS: Primarily sociology majors; others who need an equivalent research course
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The second half of a two-semester sequence, this course involves collecting and analyzing data from both qualitative and quantitative sources. A major part of the course is the student’s individual research project involving a proposal, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of research results. After completing this course a student will be able to:
• Analyze existing survey data, using a computer statistical package.
• Prepare a research plan including protection of human subjects, instrument design, and sampling plan.
• Collect original data, probably using an anonymous paper and pencil survey.
• Analyze original data, including frequencies, percentage tables, correlations, and statistical tests.
• Write a formal research report and present in a public symposium using slides and tables.
• Demonstrate the ability to manipulate data by recoding, constructing scales or indexes, and performing bivariate and multivariate analysis.
• Understand the theory and application of probability sampling and tests of statistical significance.
• Understand the logic and be able to demonstrate data analysis using linear and logistic regression and the elaboration model.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: The course meets in a computer lab and part of the time is spent on the individual student research projects. In addition, students learn theory and practice and carry out a qualitative study and learn to analyze quantitative data in a more sophisticated way than in their own projects.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Workbook exercises, applications projects, three papers including a major research report, and a symposium presentation.

SOCI 40200-01 SOCIETY AND NATURE SS LA
T 4:00-6:40 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Julian Euell, Muller 114, ext. 4-3522, euell@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 12
PREREQUISITES: One 100 level sociology course; three courses in the social sciences with at least one at level 3
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The students and the professor begin with the inquiry what does it mean to “being nature”. What types of perspectives (ecologies of mind, body and spirit) do we inhabit? How might one integrate inquiry? What does it mean to listen to the land? What does it mean to have an integral ecology? This course is an exploration of the phenomenological methods of studying direct experience of ‘being nature’.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: Student led-discussions, straight lecturing, exercises.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Midterm and Final essays and experiential projects.

SOCI 42400-01 GLOBAL SOCIOLOGY LA SS g
TR 1:10-2:25 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Alicia Swords, Muller 109, Ext. 4-1209, aswords@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 12
PREREQUISITES: One 100 level sociology course; three courses in the social sciences with at least one at level 3; junior standing or above
STUDENTS: This course is a senior seminar for students who are interested in advanced study about global issues and how global social forces shape our society, our lives, and the future.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course aims for students to develop knowledge and skills for global sociological research and analysis. This course is intended for students who may pursue work in non-profit, public or private sectors in policy design, human rights, or planning. Students study the social processes of colonialism, development and globalization. They identify, apply, compare and critically analyze theories of global development and change. Readings focus on the development of global political, economic, and social institutions, and their social consequences. Throughout the course, students will examine global forces and resistance and consider possibilities for changing current global social dynamics.
COURSE FORMAT/STYLE: This class is as an upper level seminar based in discussion of readings. Students have considerable responsibility for class discussion. Films and in-class exercises supplement readings.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Attendance and participation; reading assignments; bi-weekly discussion questions; midterm take-home exam and final research paper.

SOCI 43801-01 ST: DOING GENDER AND SEXUAL DIVERSITY LA SS
TR 1:10-2:25 PM
INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Plante, Muller 110, ext. 4-3311, rplante@ithaca.edu
ENROLLMENT: 12
PREREQUISITES: One 100-level sociology course; three social science courses with at least one at level 3; junior standing or above
STUDENTS: Curious, hard-working, engaged sociology/social science and women’s studies students will benefit most. Caution: this class will be quite rigorous in both reading and writing workload; the prerequisites are vital.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This upper-level seminar is designed to further students' existing academic knowledge of genders and sexualities. Together we will analyze theories and empirical studies of gender and sexual diversity, relationships, and sexualities; content will address trans/gender, intersex/uality, hegemony, cisgender, power, queer sexualities, and hetero/sex. Our focus will be North American but there will be significant cross-cultural material and we will weave race/ethnicity and class throughout our coursework. The course is intended to challenge and engage students, inspire sociological, structural analyses, and further advanced students' analytical skills.
COURSE FORMAT/ STYLE: Seminar style, relying on engaged participation from ALL members. Discussion and analysis-heavy. Preparation is crucial: reading, writing, and thinking prior to class and every week.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING: Brief and longer papers; weekly critical thinking exercises; reading-heavy, writing-heavy. There are no exams. Participation, engagement, and attendance count a lot.